Self-balancing spindle.



Patented lan. I, |90I.

l No. 665,16l.-

E. ATWOD.

SELF BALANCING SPINDLE.

(Application filed Jan. 6. 1900.)

(No Model.)

NiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE ATWOOD, OF STO'NI'NGTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNR TO THEATWOOD-MCRRISON COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SELF-BALANCING SPINDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665,161, dated January1, 1901.

Application iiled January 6, 1900. Serial No. 541. (No model) To @ZZwhom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, EUGENE ATwooD, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Stonington, in the county of New London and State ofConnecticut,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Self-BalancingSpindles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a self-balancing spindle in which thesupporting-tube which carries the spindle is supported on the floor ofan oil-cup and the wear tending to throw the spindle out of its trueoriginal position is avoided by the constant supply of a thin lm of oilbetween the bottom of the cup and the bearing on the tube.

In the accompanyingk drawings, Figure l represents a spindle and itssupporting-tube and one form of the tube-support in side elevation. Fig.2 is a top plan view of the Same. Fig. 3 is a view of thespindle-supporting tube and parts immediately connected therewith invertical section on the plane of the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is acrosssection of another form of tube-support.

The spindle is denoted by A.

The whirl is denoted by B and is here shown as adapted for either a bandor belt; but it is to be understood that the ordinary form of whirl fora band alone or for a belt alone might be substituted for the whirl hereshown, as this forms no part of my present invention.

The supporting-tube in which the spindle is mounted is denoted by C andis provided intermediate of its ends with an annular inverted cup c,from the rim of which there extends a lateral Bange c', which forms thesupporting-tube bearing.

The tube-support consists of an annular cup D, having a central openingd, through which the tube C extends, bringing the tubebearing c intoposition to rest upon the bottom of the annular cup D. The cup D mayhave an oil-feed spout d opening to the eX- terior of the cup andconnecting with the bottom of the cup for the purpose of feeding` oilinto the annular cup D to lubricate the bottom of the said cup and forma thin film of oil between the bearing c of the tube and the bottom ofthe cup. The tube-supporting cup D is here shown as connected by a neckd2 with a pintle E, by which the spindle and its support may be securedto a rail; but this particular means of securing the spindle to the railis immaterial so far as my present invention is concerned, and I wish itto be understood that it is not limited to such structure. Another formof support (illustrated in Fig. 4) shows the supporting-cup D formed inthe rail E and a simple hook e employed to prevent the spindle fromjumping out of position. l

The tube C, including the bolster and stepbearings, is drawn towardthebottom of the cup .D and held in position by means of a cup-nut F,having a screw-threaded engage- Ament with the lower end of the tube andreceiving within its cup portion one end of a spiral spring G, theopposite end of the spring bearing against the bottom of the cup D. Thespring G is compressed by screwing the nut F onto the lower end of thetube, and its tension therefore is exerted in a direction to yieldinglyhold the tube -bearing c on the bottom of the cup D against the lateralpressure of the band or belt which may be employed to drive the spindle.The tube C is conveniently held against a rotary movement with respectto the cu-p D by means of a lug or feather d3, projecting into theopening d through the cup D and adapted to enter an elongated groove c2in the wall of the tube.

A guard-cap H has a screw-threaded engagement at hwith the exterior ofthe invertedcup c on the tube and has an opening h in its top, whichpermits it to be slid over the top of the Yspindle and its Whirl intoposition to be screwed onto the tube-bearing. A laterally-extendingflange h2 on the cup projects over the mouth of the support D.

The slight rocking movement imparted to the tube by the-pressure of thebaud or belt in driving the spindle has a tendency to draw the oil inthe cup D between the bearing c' and the bottom of the cup D, therebykeeping it constantly lubricated and preventing the wear which wouldtend to throw the spindle out of a true position.

, What I claim isl. The combination with a spindle and a tube forsupporting the spindle, the tube being provided with adownwardly-projected annular bearing spaced from the body of the tube,of a tubedsupport provided with an an nular bearing for receiving thesaid bearing on the tube, the said support-bearing having an annularWall adapted to extend upwardly into the space between the body of thetube and its bearing and an outer upwardlvextending;r Wall, whereby anannular cup-bearing is formed for the reception of the bearing on thetube, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a tube-Support free to swing bodily and providedwith an annular cupbearing provided with an inner annular wall, of aspindle-supporting` tube provided with an annular bearingr projecteddownwardly and spaced from its body to engage the bottom of the annularcup-bearing on the swinging support, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed mynaine, in presence of two witnesses, this 26th day of December, 1899.

Jos. F. JOSEPH, EDWARD E. BRADLEY.

